Beautiful Goodbye
CHAPTER 2: Time Flakes

     The soft net was slowly opened, staring at the ceiling of the room which was so contrasting with the color of the ground floor. Sohyun exhaled while fixing his sitting position on the desk chair. From now on, the round-eyed woman sat down in a high-up position, leaning on a wooden chair that squeaked. Her cold hand touched two sides of the cheek that turned out to be wet from the melt of tears. The girl was crying. A cry without a sound. It has been repeatedly, countless times, Sohyun like this. And his other penchant, locking himself in the room, refused anyone to come to his room including the mother. He really does not like, if anyone enters the room without his permission.

     Sohyun's attention immediately led to a piece of paper. A letter from Taehyung stored in his yadnya handcuff. The letter, which Taehyung accidentally hand-written, is now fading and looks very shabby in yellow.

     A drop of Sohyun's tears plunged back, falling on the tarnished word Friend.

     "Basin crybaby!" Sohyun. Wiping the warm fur that plunged from the edge of her rough eyelids.

     It was enough for him to cry about it. A dozen years passed, the wait was completely fruitless. Taehyung left and never seems to be coming back. Even Sohyun was tired of hoping, waiting for the man to bring the thing to him. He should not be confined alone, hoping that others will be liberated by waiting and waiting. Taehyung will never be able to take him away from here. It will never be.

     Before long, the sound of knocking on the door from outside echoed. Sohyun smiled asymmetrically, knowing for sure who was coming to the front of his room at the moment.

     "Here, mom!" Yoon Eun knocked on the door again. "Go downstairs, I'm waiting."

     And that voice disappeared. The white room was silent again. Yoon Eun's words instantly vanished, as the sound of her footsteps fading away from Sohyun's room faded away.

     "Yes, Mom. I'll be right down ..." Sohyun replied to his mother's words in a soft manner. Reply felt free—no hear—until to rungu Yoon eun. However, that's the way that sometimes people can't understand.

     He stood up from the chair, his body trembling with a restrained ringing. "Why should it be now?" his groan walked limped towards the door. This is not the right time for him, for Sohyun who is required to wear his mask back.

🔔

     His feet moved slowly down the stairs. It was as if Sohyun had intentionally prolonged his arrival to the dining room. Though he clearly knew, Yoon Eun had been waiting since.

     From the top of the staircase six meters away, Sohyun could see the mother sitting, facing several kinds of dishes on the table. His smile appeared as thin as paper, imperceptible. Then with his leisure, he breezed without regret having made Yoon eun wait for a long time.

     "Why do you like to keep people waiting?" cecar Yoon - eun.

     The new Sohyun would pull the chair silent for a moment, staring at his mother. "Not just Mom, I'm waiting too."

     "Until when?" Yoon eun said, there was a dismissive tone in her voice that sounded insinuating. Sohyun did not bother, who would care about Yoon eun?

     "Sit down and eat right away."

     Sohyun sat on the chair he used to sit in. Taking some distance, one bench constricted himself with Yoon eun.

     He began to eat the dishes available. As usual, Sohyun will start his ritual, which is to look at the food in front of him for one minute. Just to see a puff of white smoke rising. The reason is cliche, just because he does not really like to eat foods that are still hot.

    Next to her, Yoon Eun is fixated on seeing her son's behavior. It was common and he was quite tired of facing and reprimanding.

    "I don't like anyone watching me while eating, just focus on your food" Sohyun said without looking at Yoon eun. Feeling uncomfortable when you want to feed a spoonful of rice into his mouth.

     "Your words are very painful."

     Sohyun paused his chewing.

"Usually a child will be happy if his parents notice them. Not infrequently they troublemaker in order to get sympathy. But you seem to hate me so much that you're not happy about it" Yoon Eun said cynically, as her hands cut off the flesh in a dish.

     "Who are you talking about, Mom?" sohyun asked no less cynically. "Don't try!" He commemorates.

     Yoon eun silenced, serving Sohyun will only waste energy. They continued eating without much noise. Occasionally there was a change in expression on the face of the middle-aged woman, when tasting the dishes she made. Tastier? Yoon-eun wasn't even sure whether or not his cooking was worth swallowing. She is just a career woman, who is not very good at processing food. It is bad at cooking.  Unlike the mediocre Sohyun, as if his tongue was numb.

     Dinner's over. Sohyun got up from his chair, bringing his former cutlery himself. Yoon-eun stole a glance from where she was sitting. Observing Sohyun washing the dishes in the laundry tub, he continued to look until the skinny woman passed his chair.

     "Wait a minute" he said holding Sohyun back. "Something I want to talk about."

     Sohyun turned around to look at his mother for a moment, "let's say."

     Yoon eun exhaled before speaking. "Tomorrow there is a meeting outside the city. You're okay, aren't you living alone?" Yoon eun was anxious, while Sohyun was still loyal with his flat face.

    "How long?" Two words came out of Sohyun's mouth in reaction to the mother's statement.

Sohyun finally sat back in his chair. Looking at the waiting.

     "One week—"

     "Then go, then," interrupted Sohyun.

     "You don't mind mom leaving?" Yoon Eun asked again, a little heavy on her tongue asking something she already understood in return. Answers he didn't even expect to hear.

     "Why should you mind?"

     "What?" Yoon eun was stunned, getting a sarcastic-tinted speech.

     "Mom's been gone for months, I don't mind. Even if it had to go and never come back, to me it would be the same."

     "Kim So Hyun!" Yoon eun called out spontaneously. Almost the furniture on the table was scattered on the floor due to the hard sweep of his hand. Before Sohyun's sharp eyes pierced him.

     "You can be angry, but don't vent it now. It's night, Mom. You need to rest. Don't add to your job to clean up this mess just because it's serving people as insane as I am."

    Yoon eun chuckled, "Sohyun, Sohyun .. You are indeed a caring child. Too bad, you're not acting polite."

    The girl smiled smirkily. "When do you have time to teach me manners?"

  Yoon Eun was pushed from a height. Sohyun's words hit his pride hard. Deadly intention to sneer at him. The woman sat down with a roaring breath. If only, if Sohyun was no longer his responsibility ... Yoon Eun has been throwing it away for a long time.

     "Mom won't cook you any food. So learn to swallow the food the servants made," he said after minimizing the thud of his stifled anger.

     "I can't" Sohyun refused.

     "You want to die again?" Yoon Eun's hands clenched, staring at Sohyun's shady face. It could be that the girl in front of him was smiling sinlessly, innocently.

     Sohyun stood up, preparing to leave the dining room. Before leaving, he looked at Yoon Eun's face and said, "If you don't want to see me starving to death, then cook something for me for the next week. I'd rather eat stale food than spit out waiters' food."

     Then he left, not heeding the words Yoon eun was frustrated by his behavior.

     "Is mom's cooking really good? Why are you torturing me like this?" yoon Eun complains to see the departure of Sohyun who did not turn her head in the slightest towards him. "The boy really ...."

🔔

     The plane leaving Schiphol International Airport landed safely. Hours on the plane made Taehyung feel jet lag, although not as bad as when he first settled in the windmill country, the Netherlands. Just feeling tired with the time zone changes. At least the man can smile widely now. After a long time, today his pair of legs can trace in his homeland again.

      He began to step down, down the automatic escalator, as soon as possible Taehyung wanted to go home. He did not want to waste much time, rather than continue to be the subject of attention, Taehyung immediately exited the airport looking for a means of transportation to go home, namely a taxi.

      "Wait for me, Kim So Hyun!" he said impatiently. His burly hands firmly grasped his back bag, where the thing he promised was.

🔔

     Inside a large hall, rows of benches filled with students of art faculty majoring in music. Among the dozens of third-semester students who followed, there was Sohyun who sat in the middle while playing his cello. During the music class, Sohyun seemed uninspired to attend the training. Not as usual. The woman seemed to lack focus to make mistakes even though it was not fatal.

     Yeri, his classmate, who was probably closest to Sohyun did not escape paying attention to Sohyun. Soon he approached Sohyun's bench after class, intending to ask about his situation.

     "Is there a problem?" yeri asked and only answered with a headband from Sohyun. 

     "It just so happens that the class is over, how about we go for a walk or buy a new book?"  the proposal that again gets the trousers.

     For a Kim Yeri, not something strange, seeing Sohyun's response that seemed sober. Although he did not know for sure what had happened to the girl before him, he still tried to understand. In this university, not many can be close to Sohyun, maybe only she is the only female friend Sohyun has. I don't know what caused Sohyun to limit himself. Since first entering the introductory campus, Sohyun is always alone, until Yeri decides to get acquainted and can be the closest other than the Sohyun family. Although it took some time to tear down the defense wall of the girl surnamed Kim.

     "You daydreaming?"

     Sohyun's question dissolved memories then Yeri. He smiled at a glance then sat down next to Sohyun who was busy with his sketchbook. The second book after the diary that Sohyun always carried in a bag.

     "It seems that because of this picture you're not concentrating."

     Sohyun smiled faintly. His hand refused to move to give a smooth touch through the pencil he was holding. His fingers danced with glee, to finish a sketch of a face that looked foreign in Yeri's eyes.

     "He's very handsome, Hyun. Is that your best friend's sketch?" Yeri started to want to know.

     "I don't know, maybe it's his face now" Sohyun replied. This time he looked at his interlocutor, Yeri.

     "Is he really handsome?" Sohyun asked looking once again at the sketch of the smiling adult Taehyung's face.

     Yeri nodded in agreement. "True, even more handsome than your girlfriend."

     Sohyun chuckled softly. Close the sketchbook. Yeri's speech made Sohyun remember the lover who had not met for two days. Even until the music class he attended ended, the man who has the status of his lover has no signs of showing the trunk of his nose.

     "Maybe he's following outside activities. You know, don't you. .. the major she took?"

     Sohyun took a deep breath, then said, "Yes. It's possible."

     Yeri didn't say much afterwards. Right after seeing the mysterious look Sohyun showed from his two eyeballs.

🔔

     A taxi ride is going constant. Split the highway through the overpass without obstacles. Taehyung, who was sitting in the middle seat, looked at the view of the city he had long left.  A lot has changed, at least that's what he had in mind after witnessing the many magnificent new buildings. Looming with slick symmetrical construction.

     Realizing that his more modern city, almost similar to a metropolitan city, made Taehyung think of the hilly area he had visited. "Is the place still the same or has it been lost?"

     In the middle of his mind who was wandering around looking for answers, the taxi was uncomfortable. His voice whizzed violently accompanied by a puff of smoke from the front of the vehicle engine place.

     Taehyung knows what he means.

     Taxis were soon on strike. Stop in the middle and then pass another four-wheeled vehicle. Taehyung snorted resignedly.

     "Sorry, it looks like this car engine has a problem" the driver said with regret. Feeling guilty as well as unpleasant for Taehyung.

     "It's okay." Taehyung rushed down from the taxi. Following the driver who was busy fiddling with the engine that was emitting a pitch black gas.

     He looked carefully, not really understanding the condition of the machine. Seen the driver contacted someone, Taehyung surmised, if it was the repairman who would probably help repair the damage to this taxi.

     Taehyung finally chose to find another alternative, after the taxi driver gave up, advising him to use other transportation services.

     Taehyung is now walking across the pedestrian on the shoulder of a road that is quiet from the noise of the vehicle. He sat at the bus stop, waiting for the next bus. His eyes were busy reading the floor plan listed on the information wall. Without Taehyung noticing, two gangs dressed as thugs were lurking, watching his every move.

     Making use of Taehyung's carelessness that left his tambourine bag lying around, the two strangers sprinted over, snatching his backpack.

     Taehyung reflexively squealed, chasing the fast-running bandits, diving into the narrow alleys of densely populated residential areas. Indeed, it does not matter if he has to lose all the items he carries, all of it is nothing compared to valuable objects in the bag. He must get it back, in order to fulfill his promise to the friend.

🔔

     Sohyun chose to walk home alone. Walk down the sidewalk that looks lonely. This city is not a big city, but a small town located on a plateau called Taebaek. The atmosphere can be said to be far from the noise, the cool air, plus the natural panorama that is still natural makes it awake. A gentle gust of wind, not infrequently flying his hair that was scattered, including a red scarf wrapped around his neck.

     The girl loved the calmness and she had already gained it during her stay in this city. The place where he was born—bred—until he left this world, later.

     Taebaek alone has less than 60,000 inhabitants. Despite that, the city was quite advanced, just like the other cities around it. Many permanent vertical buildings began to stand in the center of the local government. One of them is a re-operating coal company, belonging to someone who is very close to him—sang Ibu—Hwang Yoon Eun.

     Before long, the ringing of the phone rang, a tone of call came in. The voice came from Sohyun's device hidden behind the folds of his sling bag.

     Without reading the caller's contacts, Sohyun knew who was calling in the middle of his way home like this.

     "Hello ..."

     "Where are you now? Jonghoon said you weren't on campus. Go home and have the driver pick you up!"

     From the other side, the loud intonation of Yoon eun bombarded the dumbstruck Sohyun who was silent listening.

     "Is Mom worried about me? What if something happens to me on the street?"  Sohyun did not answer, asked back.

     "Can you ask that? Does she sound like she's kidding?"  From across, Yoon eun seemed to be getting annoyed.

     Sohyun gave a smile, as if he was happy to hear Yoon eun's frustrated cry in the call this time. Comfort, can make his mother's mood worse.

Sohyun was proud of that.

     "Hurry home!"

     "All right, I'll ..." 

     In that instant, Sohyun rounded his eyes wide. His words hung up as something came rapidly approaching towards him. Almost inescapable.

     His phone fell off the highway. The phone connection is cut off, Yoon Eun who feels ignored again called several times, but is not active.

"What else is this? " his murmur was upset looking at the phone screen in his hand.